The Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal on the state should continue working to cut recidivism

The state of Florida is no longer locking people up for a period of time and then releasing them, hoping they don't come back.

So said Mike Crews, secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections, in a recent news conference. The dropping rate of recidivism - when ex-prisoners commit new crimes - is paying off for Florida, saving taxpayers about $44 million.

The state needs to maintain such efforts. A top priority of the penal system should be to rehabilitate offenders. Locking offenders up is a crude but necessary method of dealing with crime, but few prisoners should be considered beyond rehabilitation. Most state prisoners can become law-abiding citizens.

Yet the tide may be turning. ? Gov. Rick Scott and officials will reward Corrections Department employees with direct roles in the drop with one-time $1,000 bonuses, costing $21 million. The employees certainly deserve it, but some of the savings should also be reinvested in more methods to keep the anti-recidivism momentum going. And another chunk of the money should help balance the budget. ?

The Florida prison system has made real strides providing prisoners with the tools they need to get jobs and avoid falling into drug and alcohol abuse. The state has also made great strides in providing mental health treatment for inmates.

Continuing this work with offenders means a safer Florida, more money for other parts of the state budget and a better life for one-time offenders and their families.

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The Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal on the state should continue working to cut recidivism

The state of Florida is no longer locking people up for a period of time and then releasing them, hoping they don't come back.

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